Happy Lama Travels eksklusive grupperejser i Sudan foregår i små internationale grupper med lokal engelsktalende rejseleder. Derfor er rejsebeskrivelserne på engelsk.

En lokal rejseleder kender sit land bedre end en dansk rejseleder. Det er desuden vores erfaring at en lokal rejseleder giver dig et bedre indblik i, hvordan livet leves i Sudan.

Passer rejsedatoerne dig ikke eller vil du selv have maksimal indflydelse på dit rejseprogram – Kontakt os hvis du ønsker et tilbud på en individuel rejse i Sudan.

afrika@happylamatravel.com

Our Kingdom of the Black Pharaohs tour offers you the chance to visit the amazing sites of northern Sudan in comfort, staying in comfortable hotels and tented camps, and so is ideal for those who would prefer not to camp. On this short trip we visit some the key sites of the incredible ancient civilisations of Sudan, spending time at the ancient monuments and pyramids around Jebel Barkal, visiting the stunning Royal Necropolis at Meroe and the impressive sites of Naqa and Musawwarat. We cross foreboding desert landscapes, and hope to meet families of local nomads en route, as well as stopping at Nubian villages to meet friendly inhabitants. This is an ideal trip for those wishing to visit some of Sudan’s key highlights in a short space of time.

Fitness*** | Adventure**** | Culture**** | History***** | Wildlife*

Arrive in Khartoum on an early morning flight (usually between 0200 and 0300) and transfer to the hotel. A room at the hotel is booked for you so you are able to check-in and go straight to your room. Breakfast at the hotel and later in the morning we start the Khartoum city tour. We first visit the Archaeological Museum which contains two beautiful temples rescued by UNESCO and moved from the Lake Nasser area, when it was flooded by the water. We then cross the confluence between the Blue and the White Nile and reach Omdurman, the old capital of Sudan, where we see the Mahdi’s Tomb from outside. At sunset we travel to the tomb of the sufi leader Ahmed al Nil to witness a Whirling Dervishes Ceremony (only on Fridays). Overnight Coral Hotel or similar (BL)

Khartoum
Strategically situated at the confluence of the Blue and White branches of the Nile, Khartoum has a relatively short history. It was first established as a military outpost of Egypt in 1821, and then grew rapidly in prosperity due to the slave trade, becoming as important in the trade as Zanzibar. In 1834 it became the capital of the Sudan, with many European expeditions into the ‘interior’ using it as a base. Khartoum achieved notoriety in Victorian Britain in the 1880s. A Mahdist rebellion to the west was gathering pace, and General Gordon was despatched to Khartoum to assist the beleaguered Egyptian forces. Gordon refused to evacuate the capital, and a long siege led to it eventually being overrun by rebels, with Gordon’s head being severed and presented to the Mahdi. Later, Kitchener reclaimed Khartoum for Britain and Egypt and began the rebuilding of the city, using the shape of the British flag to design its streets, believing that this would make it easier to defend. Today Khartoum is a quiet, unremarkable city. It has peaceful, tree-lined streets, and in some ways still bears the unmistakable mark of an outpost of the British Empire.

This morning we begin the journey northward through the desert. We will spend time visiting the impressive archaeological sites of Naqa and Musawwarat. Later we journey to Meroe and our tented camp where we spend the night. (BLD)

Naqa and Musawwarat
The site of Naqa is located about 30 km to the east of the Nile and is one of best preserved relics of the kingdom of Kush. In Naqa, a typical Saharan environment with rocks and sand, there is the Apedemak Temple (1st century AD): a wonderful building with bas-relief decorations and containing images of the Kushite lion-headed god Apedemak, of the Pharaoh and of noblemen. Nearby is a small construction with arches and columns, known as the ‘Kiosk’, in which we can clearly see the Egyptian, Roman and the Greek styles. Not far away is another temple dedicated to Amun with many statues of rams and a beautiful temple entrance decorated with bas-reliefs. In Musawwarat, a short distance from Naqa, a settlement was located in a valley crowned by hills. Today the ruins of a very large temple, which once played an important role, are visible. A large number of elephants can be seen on the walls, which indicate that this animal used to have an important role in this area. Beyond the large wadi there is another temple – recently restored by a German archaeological mission, dedicated to the Apedemak God.

The Royal Necropolis of Meroe stands on a hill, with more than 40 pyramids, some of them in perfectly preserved condition. We spend today visiting the Necropolis and the Royal City of Meroe, giving us a fascinating insight into a culture and civilisation long since passed. The Royal Necropolis of Meroe is located about 3 kms from the Nile on some hills covered with yellow sand dunes. We then move along the Nile to visit the ruins of the Royal City. Overnight at the tented camp. (BLD)

Meroe
Meroe was the capital of the kingdom of Kush, becoming more important when the Royal Cemetery was moved there from its previous position at Napata. Its significance and power within the region was based on the skill of its metalworkers, iron being a product that was in great demand in the ancient world, and it was also an important trading power with links to both India and China. During its prominence, from around the 8th century BC to the 3rd century AD, the Kushite or Meroitic Empire held sway over large swathes of the surrounding area, including as far away as Lake Chad. Its rich civilisation has left numerous pyramids, very different from their better known cousins in Egypt and with far fewer tourists, making them an absolute pleasure to explore. Each one has its own funerary chapel with the walls fully decorated with bas-reliefs depicting numerous scenes. In the afternoon we move along the Nile to visit the ruins of the royal city. The excavations confirm that the town of Meroe used to cover a large area and the royal city was located in a central position, surrounded by suburbs and a boundary wall. Most of the area where the city is located, formed by many small hills covered by red clay fragments, has still to be excavated by the archaeologists.

Cross the Nile by local ferry, giving us a great opportunity to meet local people and to experience some of their kindness and hospitality. After the river crossing we enter the Bayuda desert, an area bounded by the loop formed by the Nile between the 4th and the 6th Cataracts. We may be lucky to meet nomads who live in familiar groups in small huts made of intertwined branches close to rare water wells. We continue to our accommodation for this evening. Overnight Nubian Rest House. (BLD)

Bayuda Desert
The Bayuda Desert is characterised by sharp black basalt mountains, most of them volcanic and typically cone-shaped. They alternate with level pebble stretches and large valleys with dry wadis passing through areas where only a little vegetation can be seen, together with some gazelles. It is very likely we will meet an isolated camel and donkey caravan of the Bishariyyin nomads. They live in family groups in small huts made of intertwined branches close to the rare water wells, in areas where surviving seems almost impossible.

Visit the ancient monuments around Jebel Barkal, including its pyramids and temples, before heading towards the royal cemetery at El Kurru. We then head into the desert to an area that contains numerous fossils, before heading back to Karima. Overnight at the rest house. (BLD)

Jebel Barkal and El Kurru
A landmark in the Nubian Desert, Jebel Barkal (‘Jebel’ means mountain in Arabic), can be seen from dozens of kilometres away. At the foot of this wonderful, isolated red sandstone mountain, considered holy since the ancient times, there is a large temple, dedicated to the Pharaohs of the New Reign and to their patron Amun. Besides the ruins of the temple there are several sculptured granite rams that supposedly formed a border along an avenue that led to a pier on the Nile. We visit the Royal Necropolis of the ancient city of Napata, the Nubian capital (from 800 to 400 BC) before the Meroitic period. It has a large number of pyramids in three different locations: a few hundred metres north of Jebel Barkal, at El Kurru, south from the mountain and at Nuri, which is located on the other bank of the Nile. At the village of El Kurru lies one of the necropolises of the ancient capital Napata. Here we visit two tombs, which are excavated in the rock under pyramids, partially collapsed and are fully decorated with images of the Pharaoh, of the gods and with multicolour hieroglyphic inscriptions.

Follow the Nile until we reach the ancient Christian site of Old Dongola. Here we can see a Coptic Christian temple with marble columns as well as several churches on the banks of the Nile. We will also pass by several villages belonging to the Nubian people, where we hope to stop and meet the inhabitants and see their colourful painted houses. Return to Karima for the night. Overnight at the rest house. (BLD)

Nubian people
Ancient Nubia, stretching through northern Sudan and southern Egypt, was the home of Africa’s earliest black civilisation with a history which can be traced back to 2000 BC, through monuments, artefacts and written records from Egypt and Rome. In antiquity, Nubia was a land of great natural wealth, of gold mines, ebony, ivory and incense which was always prized by her neighbours. Nubia’s location frequently brought it into conflict with its neighbour to the north, Egypt, and throughout ancient history there were periods when Nubian rulers held sway over Egypt, and vice versa. The traditional homeland of the Nubians was hugely disrupted with Nasser’s building of the Aswan Dam in southern Egypt, a project that flooded Nubian villages and monuments and caused the local population to have to relocate. Nubians today have their own language and are divided into three main groups – the Mahas, the Danaqla and the Sikurta, each speaking slightly different dialects.

After breakfast we visit the market in Karima to experience the sights and sounds of local Sudanese life. We then board a boat for a pleasant cruise along the Nile to enjoy the beautiful sand stretches and cultivated islands. Later we visit the archaeological site of Nuri to witness many more pyramids including the one of the great Taharqa. We will walk in this area before returning to Karima. Overnight at the rest house (BLD)

Return to Khartoum, stopping for lunch ion a simple chai house. In the afternoon we reach Omdurman and visit the souk – later we hope to be able to see the ceremony of the whirling dervishes. Transfer to the hotel where day use rooms are available for a shower, then transfer to the airport for your onward flight. (BL)

If you wish to take the extension to Soleb, the itinerary will be as follows

Today you drive west through the Nubian Desert. On reaching the Nile you cross the Bridge to Dongola city, and continue north on the western side of the Nile on the new asphalt road which has some granite formations along the way. You reach the Temple of Soleb. where you will have your picnic lunch in the house of the Guardian of the temple. After lunch drive a further half an hour north to cross the Nile on a fishing boat to reach the Island of Sai, an important archaeological area with ancient remains from the Kerma civilization, Egyptian and Christian cultures. During the crossing to the island you may see Nile crocodiles on the shore of the river. After the visit return to the mainland and drive back to the house to spend the night. (BLD)

Nubian house in Soleb
This is a typical Nubian house with four bedded rooms, verandas, long drop toilets, and a sun heated water shower. There is a generator which works for a couple of hours, to allow people to charge the batteries for cameras. A kitchen and a room for the driver are also available. The sleeping bags with sheets and mosquito nets are provided.

This morning you visit the Temple of Soleb, the most beautiful Egyptian temple in Sudan, testimony to the New Kingdom in Nubia, with many walls rich in hieroglyphic inscriptions, bas-relief figures and many columns. Then drive south leaving the main road to reach the Nile and following it through villages before arriving at the ferry. Here you cross the River to arrive on the Eastern bank just north of the rapids of the Third Cataract which used to be a major obstacle that the ancient Egyptians had to face when trying to sail the Nile River. You can walk up the hill to the ancient Ottoman Fort with beautiful views of the cataract. In Sebu, right on the river bank of the Nile it is possible to visit one of the richest sites of rock engraving in Sudan, with hundreds of images from prehistoric to Egyptian times. Continue driving through the Nubian villages and among the huge rocks of the Third Cataract to the village of Tombos. Here there were ancient granite quarries with the remains of a statue of the King Taharqa, simply left in the desert about 2800 years ago and some interesting Egyptian stele engraved on the rocks. Spend the night in a local private Nubian house, with simple basic rooms and shared facilities, but clean with western toilets and shower. (BLD)

A short drive this morning takes you to Kerma to visit the majestic “Defuffa” the monument that characterizes Kerma civilization. Of great interest is the Museum created by the Swiss archaeological mission after the recovery of seven statues of the Black Pharaohs in 2003.There is time to visit the Eastern Defuffa located in the middle of the Necropolis, crossing fields to reach it. In the afternoon return to Karima and the Nubian Guest House (BLD)

Return to Khartoum, stopping for lunch in a simple chai house. In the afternoon we reach Omdurman and visit the souk. Transfer to the hotel where day use rooms are available for a shower, then transfer to the airport for your onward flight which in Sudan will often be late evening or in the early hours of the next morning depending on the airline. (BL)

Omdurman
Omdurman is today effectively part of Khartoum, but was once a small village on the banks of the Nile which the Mahdi made his base during his campaign against the British in the late 19th century. With the massacre of British forces and the death of Gordon, the Mahdi’s successor moved the capital from Khartoum to Omdurman. This was only in place for a short while however, until the Battle of Omdurman in 1898, when the Khalifa was killed along with 10,000 of his men and General Kitchener re-established Khartoum as the capital of Sudan. Today it contains the tomb of the Mahdi, seen by some as the first African anti-colonialist, the house of the Khalifa, and the souq, the largest market in Sudan selling just about everything you can imagine. A walk through here is to experience the very essence of the country, and a quintessential Sudanese experience.